Suspense mounts over final pricing of Gorshkov carrier

On Board PM`s Special Aircraft: Suspense
mounted over the final price India has to pay Russia for
Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier after the two countries
ended the lockjam over the protracted price negotiations.

India today said it would like to wait for formal
completion of necessary procedure before declaring that all
problems over the deal has been sorted out with Russia.

"We have moved closer to finalising a price but we
would like to go through procedures and clearances before
making an announcement (of a solution)," Foreign Secretary
Miriam Ra told journalists accompanying Prime Minister Mammon
Sing on his return home from Moscow.

A Russian team is currently in New Delhi to firm up
issues relating to pricing.

Ra had yesterday said the two countries have
successfully ended negotiations on technical issues.

Indian and Russian defence officials have been
negotiating the price for the purchase of the refurbished USD
2.2-billion aircraft carrier for several years.

Moscow is now asking for USD 2.9 billion for the
aircraft carrier, nearly thrice the price that was originally
agreed between the two sides in 2004.

But New Delhi wanted the price to be scaled back to
USD 2.1 billion. The official did not disclose what that
"satisfactory price" was but said it is between what the two
countries were negotiating over.